Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-07-28
AN oLo KENTUCKY HOME.
Characteristic Feature> 81 tn. Mose Insoa.
venient Houses Ever Devised.

Characteristic Feature. Of thu Moo. Inso..
venlent Houses Ever Devised.
The homestead was Of square. r,uSh-
hewn blocks of granite. and had been
built before the days Of professional
architects by former G,veraor of the
State. who WAS stonc-masOn in early
life. and worked honestly at his trade
until the people called him into another
sphere of action. The house was at
once thoroughly comfortable and exc
trcmcly inconvcnient; additions had
been made to the main building at d;f-
ferent times. with no idea of general
effect. From the broad front porch
one entered at once large, high room.
which was parlor. library and sitting.
room all in one; and very attractive
1t was with cheerful paper and
carpet. comfortable rocking chairs and
sofas, and big open fireplace with great
brass-knObbed andirons. Opposite the
front door and leading to the back
porch was hall. from which door
opened directly upon some steps lead
ing to what was called the big 'up-
stairs" This room. which was of ne
cessity entered head-foremOst as one
assembled the stairs. took in the main
body of the house. and held always
three double beds. with ample space
for as many more when the house was
crowded. Two bedrooms opened from
the parlor below, and from the back
one another flight of stairs assembled
to rooms above. known as the ''lit-
tie upstairs" The characteristic
feature of the building was the entire
lack of any means of communication
| between the two parts of the upper
aoor. In the large room over the par
or one might hear plainly the voices
OF the occupants of an adjacent room.
but to reach them it was necessary to
descend one stairway, traverse the
whole length of the house, and ascend
another flight. Above the little up
stairs was the attic; here hung fes-
tOons of okra, red peppers. onions and
garden herbs for seasoning; in the cor
ners were bags of nuts and punches Of
popcorn, and apples and peaches
were spread on deal boards to
dry; there were bits of old
harness. ragged side-saddle that was
to be recovered some day. n shotgun
or two. and SEINE hunting-coats; and
in dark. shelving recess were some
relics of the day when Uncle Doctor
was medical student and practicing
physician bones which Mr..
Venus would have classified as "human
various" These were sources of in
finite terror to every child and negro
on the place. and made a visit to the
attic after dusk perilous expedition.
necessitating ample companionship
and subject to sudden panics.
From the front bedroom downstairs
for it was impossible to go
anywhere about the house with
out passing through somebody's
private apartment-three or four
steps led down to a porch.
open only on two sides. and these so
trcllised and covered with vines that
it was the most delightful of summer
dining-roOms. From this porch
opened capacious storerOoms, and
Just around the corner was the ktch-
en-, large disorderly, often crowded.
but clean in the main. and the source
of most tOOthsome and abundant fare.
At one corner of the porch stood an
from bound hogshead, which caught
and stored the rain-watcr from the
roof We used to listen in summer
storm to the raindrOos on the shin
giles, and hear them gutter along
through the tin spout down to this old
receptacle and when the rain was
over, when the fresh. sweet. earthly
OdOr was abroad, and the sun was
hanging glistening jewels on every
flower and shrub. we would climb
upon the balustrade of the porch and
peer eagerly into the depths of the old
hogshead. looking for the real dia-
monds that the negroes said were
sometimes brought down by the rain.
After breakfast there was always a
group of negroes about the porch,
each one JTiucu Will Il Iii cup VI tJittt,
and waiting for the daily allowance of
molasses, sugar and coffee to be given
out from the stOre-room. hoping also
Tor some special tidbit from the re-
mains of the meal.
Walks made from flat. irregular
stones led from the kitchen door to
various points in the yard; to the LOT
where the milking was done; to the
smoke house. the duck-pond and
poultry-yard. and the line of orderly
cabins known as 1.-The quarters" to
the garden. with its picturesque min
Cling of fruit and vegetables and old
fashioned flowers; and to the cistcrns.
TO whose water the limestone rock
gave the same tonic quality that it i'm
parts to the blue grass, making this
the finest grazing country in the
world. Near the garden was the circu-
lar ice house. 4 most seductive build
ing. whose slanting roof began about
two feet above the ground. and was
delightfully."- messy and slippery.